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Notices of Changes in Assessments for 2017

Friday, April 14, 2017 - 12:04pm

The notices of changes in assessments for 2017 are being mailed to property owners. Assessment notices are mailed to all property owners whether or not their assessment has changed from the previous year's value. Of the 75,099 parcels in the City, 81% of the assessments are being changed (60,090 increases and 847 decreases). 14,162 parcels did not change from their 2016 values.

Property owners may view the 2017 preliminary assessments at the Office of the City Assessor on business days between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Monday, April 17 through Friday, May 5. This "Open Book" period is set aside for property owners to discuss their assessments with Assessor's Office staff prior to completion of the assessment roll. Property owners who wish to compare assessments may also view assessment data posted on the Assessor's website at http://www.cityofmadison.com/assessor/tax.cfm. Available information includes owner's name, property address, legal description, sale information and property characteristics.

Owners who disagree with their assessment are encouraged to speak with the appraiser who established the value. If an error was made or if a property owner has evidence that the assessment does not reflect the actual fair market value of the property, the appraiser will take this information into consideration in setting the final assessed value. We welcome the opportunity to review any and all information provided. The best evidence of value is the recent sale price of the property or the sale prices of comparable properties.

After talking with the Assessor's Office, owners who still feel the assessed value of their property is incorrect may file a formal objection. The Assessor's Office must be notified, either orally or in writing, of intent to object at least 48 hours before the first meeting of the Board of Review. The Board's first scheduled meeting is Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 1:30 PM. Owners must notify the Assessor's Office of their intent to object no later than 1:30 PM, Monday, May 8, 2017. In addition, an objection form obtained from the Assessor's Office must be completed and filed with the Assessor's Office prior to or within the first two hours of the first meeting of the Board of Review.

The Board of Assessors will review all properly filed objections and make any necessary corrections or changes. The Board will inform owners of its decisions by mail. Owners who disagree with these decisions may proceed to a formal hearing before the Board of Review. Similar to a court, the Board of Review has the responsibility for resolving differences of opinion of valuation. Its function is to decide if the assessment is correct based upon oral testimony and evidence presented by the property owner and the Assessor's staff. After hearing the evidence, the Board will decide whether to lower, raise or sustain the assessment. Board of Review decisions may be appealed to the Circuit Court of Dane County.